Exhibit A
Exhibit B
Exhibit B After watching the Women in Art movie several times, I noticed a pattern that reminded me of something I read recently in a book called, Math and the Mona Lisa by Bulent Atalay. But first, help me with an experiment ... I want you to strike a pose, well two poses.
First, think for 30 seconds of someone you are really fond of -- your kid, your favorite dog, your significant other, me. Now, pretend that you are posing for a picture that will be given to that person/dog/me. (Did I mention you can NOT be looking straight ahead into the camera? You can't look directly into the camera. Tilt your face slightly either direction.) Take your time and really visualize it. CLICK.
First, think for 30 seconds of someone you are really fond of -- your kid, your favorite dog, your significant other, me. Now, pretend that you are posing for a picture that will be given to that person/dog/me. (Did I mention you can NOT be looking straight ahead into the camera? You can't look directly into the camera. Tilt your face slightly either direction.) Take your time and really visualize it. CLICK.
Next, take 30 seconds to visualize posing for the Official Portrait of You that will be hung in the hallowed halls of SIU (some important university.) Again no straight ahead faces. CLICK. Which of your eyes came forward, right or left during each pose?
In portraiture bilateral symmetry is quite rare. Usually the subject is presented with one eye and one check compositional dominate over the opposite eye and check. Simply said, her nose points either to the left or right of the picture. If the nose is pointing left from the viewer's perspective, then the subject is presenting with the left cheek and eye. If the nose is pointing to the right, the subject's right side is dominate. (If you are doing the experiment on yourself, your nose will point to your own right hand when the left side of your face is dominate and to the left hand when your right side is dominate.)
You may have noticed nearly 75% of the women's noses in the movie pointed toward the left side of your screen. (They are left presenting portraits.) Why is this? One hypothesis is based on our experiment. The idea is that the presentation is actually determined more by the subject than the artist. It would appear that the emotional frame of mind of the subject effects the direction in which she turns. Warmth, endearment and emotion are feelings associated with LEFT presentations (like most the paintings in the movie.) RIGHT presentations are associated with rationality, power and suppression of emotion.
WHY? Maybe neuropsychology explains. The right side of the brain - the hemisphere associated with emotive functions, like endearment and love, also controls the left side eye and cheek. The left side of the brain controls rational, calculation and confidence controls the muscles in the right side of the face. Possibly, the emotional state of the subject subconsciously dictates which eye comes forward. Not to forget that the viewer is also conditioned to expect a certain "look" from a certain kind of woman.
It is most likely bunkish psycho-babble, but it was interesting for me to go back and look at all the portraits of the movie asking myself what each woman was thinking. Who did I want to get to know better? Which were saying, "I care deaply about your well being" and "I'm pregnant, the father is dead and I am going to throw myself out the window." (Exhibit A and a true story about Modigliani's common law wife.) Or which seem to be thinking, "A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle." (Exhibit B)
Next week we will discuss the golden mean, Baby Bear Rectangles and Fibonacci's rabbits. (It was just too much for one post.) In the mean time, ask your friends to strike a pose.
In portraiture bilateral symmetry is quite rare. Usually the subject is presented with one eye and one check compositional dominate over the opposite eye and check. Simply said, her nose points either to the left or right of the picture. If the nose is pointing left from the viewer's perspective, then the subject is presenting with the left cheek and eye. If the nose is pointing to the right, the subject's right side is dominate. (If you are doing the experiment on yourself, your nose will point to your own right hand when the left side of your face is dominate and to the left hand when your right side is dominate.)
You may have noticed nearly 75% of the women's noses in the movie pointed toward the left side of your screen. (They are left presenting portraits.) Why is this? One hypothesis is based on our experiment. The idea is that the presentation is actually determined more by the subject than the artist. It would appear that the emotional frame of mind of the subject effects the direction in which she turns. Warmth, endearment and emotion are feelings associated with LEFT presentations (like most the paintings in the movie.) RIGHT presentations are associated with rationality, power and suppression of emotion.
WHY? Maybe neuropsychology explains. The right side of the brain - the hemisphere associated with emotive functions, like endearment and love, also controls the left side eye and cheek. The left side of the brain controls rational, calculation and confidence controls the muscles in the right side of the face. Possibly, the emotional state of the subject subconsciously dictates which eye comes forward. Not to forget that the viewer is also conditioned to expect a certain "look" from a certain kind of woman.
It is most likely bunkish psycho-babble, but it was interesting for me to go back and look at all the portraits of the movie asking myself what each woman was thinking. Who did I want to get to know better? Which were saying, "I care deaply about your well being" and "I'm pregnant, the father is dead and I am going to throw myself out the window." (Exhibit A and a true story about Modigliani's common law wife.) Or which seem to be thinking, "A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle." (Exhibit B)
Next week we will discuss the golden mean, Baby Bear Rectangles and Fibonacci's rabbits. (It was just too much for one post.) In the mean time, ask your friends to strike a pose.
P.S. Thanks, Marco, for the mental health break. xoxoxo
3 comments:
So, I think I my chin was toward my left hand. But you got me all confused. And that was only for the first scenario. I didn't feel like posing for my portrait, I haven't showered and my hair is back.
Oh Kim - You are the only one who cares enough to read the whole rediculous post. Thanks - you're the best.
i'm late, but experiment is complete and i am cold and calculating on both accounts.
interesting post. i love both paintings, too.
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